Safety device for use in the production of tow



Dec. 18, 1956 E. J. GRISE-:1 JR

SAFETY DEVICE FOR USE IN THE PRODUCTION OF TOW Filed Oct. 27, 1954 SAFETY DEVICE FOR USE 1N THE PRODUCTION OF TOW Ernest J. Grset, Jr., Asheville, N. C., assigner to American Enka Corporation, Enka, N. C., a corporation of Delaware Application October 27, 1954, Serial No. 464,986

6 Claims. (Cl. 164-36) This invention relates -to the production of rayon tow by tube 'spinning and more particularly to a safety device for the protection of personnel and machinery for use in the production of large denier rayon tows.

In the manufacture of high ydenier tows, fthe tube spinning system has been most successful. In this use the tube spinning system includes a series of large glass tubes arranged in .accordance with the system shown in `application Serial No. 324,948, tiled December 9, 1952, now Patent No. 2,725,277, and commonly owned 'herewith. These glass tubes are quite large being designed to yaccommodate 4a tow of 10,000 denier or more. It is realized that -th-e strength of a composite thread of this 'high denier is tremendous. Consequently -in the event of Some sort of stoppage in the movement of fthe tow, very dangerous tensions can -be built up.

in a tube spinning system the exit `end of each tube is usually bent down in order that the liquid may be recycled while the thread is drawn olf .at an angle to the vertical, these spigots being an integral pant of the glass tube and being very easily broken off if the tow .tension gets too high. Furthermore, operating personnel -cou'ld be very seriously injured if arms or clothing were caught in the running tow.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a safety device for luse with high denier .tube spinning machines, in order that any tow tension that is dangerously high be quickly and automatically relieved before opportunity for either equipment or personnel injury.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be lapparent `from the following detailed description of .a preferred embodiment thereof when considered in conjunction with the annexed drawings the single ligure of which is a fragmentary perspective View of ya portion of a tube spinning machine for tow including the device of the present invent-ion.

'In the drawing, reference numeral |10 lrepresents the last liquid discharge zone from the last treat-ing stage of a multi-stage tube spinning machine. The two Iof the many tubes with which such va machine is provided are shown at 11 and 12. The tow runs through these tubes and is led from their mouths to a guide 13 from whence the tow is yconveyed to a drying system. The treatin-g liquid from the tubes 11 and 12 is collected in the container 10 and recycled in `a manner already known. Between the discharge ends of .the tubes 11 and 12 and fthe guide 13 there is arranged for each tow 'a ser-ies of rollers adapted to guide the tow in a path above but out of contact with a knife 14. The tow 15 which issues from the tube 11 passes under a roller 16, over a roller 17, over a roller 18 and under a roller 19. The Itow 15a which issued from the Itube 12 similarly passes under a roller 16a, overa roller 17a, over a roller 18a and under a roller 19a. The rollers 16 and 16a are mounted on a freely rotatable shaft 20 and the rollers 19 and 19a are similarly arranged with respect to a shaft 21. The roller pairs 16-19 and 16a-19a define a straight line tow path, as shown in dotted lines, normal to, and intersecting the cutting edge of knife 14.

United States Patent O ice The rollers 17, i17a, 18 and -1-8a are each mounted independently for individual vertical movement. 'Ihe roller 17 is pivotally mounted -between the Shanks of a U bracket 22. The U bracket is support-ed by a rod 23 in telescoping relation to a socket 24. A spring 25 extends in compression between the mount of the lsocket 24 and the bottom of the bracket 22. This spring acts in compressi-on to bias the roller 17 to the position shown in the drawing. An exactly similar mounting arrangement is used for the rollers 17a, 18 and 18a. 'Ihe spring 25 and the other springs which correspond to it are so adjusted .that they will hold the respective rollers high enough :to keep the tow out of the straight line path between the rollers 16--19 .and 16a-19a and hence out of contact with the knife 14 whenever the tow tension is below the level which would break the mouth or exit Iend of the tubes su-ch .as 11 .and 12. The tension level at which fthe knife will act. can be predetermined by selection of springs of suitable thrust or by preloading them -by various arrangements known to the art.

When the tension becomes high enough to be dangerous to the tubes, the springs such as 25 are compressed, the rollers move down and the :tow runs in the straight ydotted line path and is automatically cut by the long knife 14 lwhereby 4the dangerous tension is instantly relieved. While the knife 1.4 serves a large number olf tows, each individual tow is independently supported iby a pair of spring Iurged rollers such as .-17 and 18. If a dangerous tension is reached by any one of A.the tows, it will be severed quickly and completely without interference with the remainder of the operation of the machine.

What .is yclaimed is:

l. In tube spinning apparatus for tow, guiding means defining a straight line tow path beyond the end of the last tube in the system, yieldable means normally modifying said straight line path, a knife extending in cutting relation to said Astraight line path whereby when the -tension is excessive the resilient means yields and moves the tow into contact with -the knife.

2. In .tube spinning apparatus for ftow, guiding means defining a straight line path beyond the end of each last tube .of each group of tubes in the system, resilient guides normally modifying each lstraight line path, la knife eX- tending transversely of all of said straight line paths whereby when the tension is excessive the resilient means yields and moves the tow from `one of the modified paths into Contact with the knife.

3. Safety apparatus for a machine for propelling 'high denier 'threads and `the like that comprises -a pair of guides dening between them a `straight line thread path, cutting means acting in said path, spring urged guiding means normally biasing thread running between said guides out of said straight path, the loading of said guiding means being such that when thread tension is excessive, the bias of the guiding means is overcome and the .thread runs in the straight path and is thereby cut to relieve the excessive tension.

4. Safety apparatus Ifor a machine for propelling high denier tows and the like that comprises a pair of guides defining between them .a straight line path, a knife extending yacross said path, -a pair of guiding means normally spring biased to hold tow running between said guides out 4of said straight line path, the loading of said springs being such that when low tension is excessive, the vsprings are compressed and the tow runs in the straight path thereby to be cut to relieve the excessive tension.

5. In tube lspinning apparatus for tow, -two guides dehning a straight line thread path beyond the end of the 'last tube in the system, a knife positioned between said guides with its cutting edge vertically spaced in one direction Ifrom the straight line thread path, guide means Y muntdfbetween `said yguides and resilient means urging lsaid guide means toa position whereV said -guidemeans Y means'upwardlyto a position where said guidemean withsaid guides dene :a .thread path vertically spaced Y siLient means .to ya position where-.said guideVv means with lsaid guidesY define a thread path which intersetsy said Qutting edge- Y Y Y `6. In tubeyspinning apparatus for tow, two guides dea straight line threadv path beyond 'the end -of the lasttube inV the system, .a knife positioned between said guides 'with its cutting edge'extending upward-1y above thestraight'line thread path, guidev means mounted .bef tween said guides, :and resilientmeans urging said gil-ide with said lguides dene -athrcadtplth Yabove theutting edge of said knife, said guide means adapted to fbe moyed ydownwardly .against said resilient means't' a position where said .guide .means with said guides define a .thread 'path lbe'low the cutting edgefof said knife. Y

References Cited'in the` irlre, of this Ypatent UNITED STATES PATENTS Lively Aug.9, `1921 

